Our Accomplishments

The Polish American Congress, with the joint efforts of our member organizations and State Divisions, has many accomplishments to our credit, though our tasks are far from complete. Working closely with the U.S. government, the Polish American Congress was influential on the following. Among others:

Establishment of the Displaced Persons (DP) program, allowing over 150,000 Polish immigrants to enter the U.S. after World War II.
Setting up the U.S. Congressional Commission to investigate the World War II Katyn Forest Massacre.
U.S. legislation giving Polish veterans of World Wars I and II American medical Veterans benefits.
Permanent U.S. recognition of Poland's western border: the Oder-Neisse line.
U.S. assistance through NED {National Endowment for Democracy) to Solidarity underground and during martial law.
Establishment of the SEED Act (Support to East European Democracies).
Establishment of the PAEF (Polish American Enterprise Fund).
Establishment of the PAFF (Polish American Freedom -Foundation).
Political asylum in the U.S. for refugees escaping from the Communist regime in Poland.
Amnesty for undocumented aliens who entered the U.S. before 1979.
Poland's membership in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
Partnering with the Swiss Fund for the Needy Victims of the Holocaust to assist victims of concentration camps.

Participated in the negotiations, which led to the establishment of the German Forced Labor Compensation Program; currently assists the International Organization for Migration by providing claims applications and claims processing to the living survivors of slave/forced labor. Other assistance involves participation in the Austrian Forced Labor Compensation Program, the Swiss Holocaust Victims Assets Program and the German Property Loss Program.

Assistance to flood victims in Poland in 1997 and 2001.

Immigration reform -245 (i) legalization, H1-B visas. Visa lottery.